Chapter 2 - Biomass Characteristics

Abstract

This chapter discusses important properties of biomass that are relevant to gasification and related processes. The characteristics of biomass greatly influence the performance of a biomass gasifier. A proper understanding of the physical and the chemical properties of biomass feedstock is essential for the design of a biomass gasifier to be reliable. Biomass refers to any organic materials that are derived from plants or animals. Biomass also includes gases and liquids recovered from the decomposition of nonfossilized and biodegradable organic materials. As a sustainable and renewable energy resource, biomass is constantly being formed by the interaction of CO2, air, water, soil, and sunlight with plants and animals. After an organism dies, microorganisms break down biomass into elementary constituent parts like H2O, CO2, and its potential energy. Because the carbon dioxide, a biomass releases through the action of microorganisms or combustion was absorbed by it in the recent past, biomass combustion does not increase the total CO2 inventory of the Earth. It is thus called greenhouse gas neutral or GHG neutral. Botanical biomass is formed through conversion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into carbohydrate by the sun's energy in the presence of chlorophyll and water. Biological species grow by consuming botanical or other biological species. Biomass is a complex mixture of organic materials such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, along with small amounts of minerals such as sodium, phosphorus, calcium, and iron. The main components of plant biomass are extractives, fiber or cell wall components, and ash.